Illustration of junk
- 3junk
1
a(1)
: old iron, glass, paper, or other waste that may be used again in some form
(2)
: secondhand, worn, or discarded articles
(3)
b
: something of poor quality : trash
c
: something of little meaning, worth, or significance
2
: pieces of old cable or cordage used especially to make gaskets, mats, swabs, or oakum
4
5
: baseball pitches that break or are off-speed (such as curveballs or changeups)
6
slang
: male genitalia
: any of various ships of Chinese waters with bluff lines, a high poop and overhanging stem, little or no keel, high pole masts, and a deep rudder
Synonyms
Noun (1)
Verb
Examples of junk in a Sentence
Noun (1)
couldn't believe that such junk was chosen to be read for the book club
my car is junk—it spends more time in the shop than on the road
junk on the side of the road waiting for the trash collection
Verb
We decided to junk our old computer and buy a new one.
we'll have to junk this old car
Recent Examples on the Web
Jaime Moore-Carrillo, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 May 2024
The nation still generates 60 percent of its electricity with fossil fuels (43 percent of it from natural gas), and until that changes, junking a gas stove is roughly a wash for the planet.
—Tik Root, WIRED, 30 Mar. 2024
The nation still generates 60 percent of its electricity with fossil fuels (43 percent of it from natural gas) and until that changes, junking a gas stove is roughly a wash for the planet.
—Tik Root, Grist, Quartz, 29 Mar. 2024
Prints were often stripped of their silver content and junked.
—Dan Barry, New York Times, 15 Mar. 2024
Her characters are often antique pickers, interior designers, real estate agents, location scouts, house flippers and those who go on junking trips.
—Marni Jameson, The Mercury News, 18 Jan. 2024
Computer manufacturers also installed all kinds of additional support software, registration screens, and other things that generally extended the setup process and junked up your Start menu and desktop.
—Andrew Cunningham, Ars Technica, 21 Aug. 2023
And then the Republicans junked that plan and passed a map that was tilted wildly in their favor.
—Kyle Whitmire | Kwhitmire@al.com, al, 23 Aug. 2023
The cost to repair it was onerous, and Hilton had no option but to junk it.
—Susan Orlean, The New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2022
Christopher Elliott, USA TODAY, 17 May 2024
As the United States government cracks down on junk fees and predatory practices in the airline industry, Frontier Airlines has introduced a series of changes geared towards pricing transparency.
—Rocio Fabbro, Quartz, 17 May 2024
In March, a smaller hunk of orbital junk tore through the roof of a home in Naples, FL.
—Harri Weber, Popular Science, 16 May 2024
More:Regulators want to slash credit card late fees to $8 from $32 average
More:Hidden junk fees from businesses can drive up costs.
—Susan Tompor, Detroit Free Press, 7 May 2024
With objects in Earth’s orbit moving at 17,500 miles per hour, too much junk and shards of debris could be incredibly hazardous to satellites and anything else that may need to pass through the area in the future, Space.com reported.
—Julia Daye, Miami Herald, 7 May 2024
The company places an emphasis on the customer’s experience and eco-friendly junk removal.
—Indianapolis Star, The Indianapolis Star, 6 May 2024
Several days after her father spoke out at a meeting against Al Capone’s efforts to muscle in on the junk dealers’ business, a gangster shot him three times in the groin.
—Steven Greenhouse, New York Times, 3 May 2024
As the space industry continues to grow, so does the amount of spacecraft being launched into orbit and the risk of collision with wandering pieces of space junk.
—Passant Rabie / Gizmodo, Quartz, 23 Apr. 2024
Verb
Some council members felt the city would undermine that commitment by junking the contract’s diversity requirement.
—Jaime Moore-Carrillo, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 May 2024
The nation still generates 60 percent of its electricity with fossil fuels (43 percent of it from natural gas), and until that changes, junking a gas stove is roughly a wash for the planet.
—Tik Root, WIRED, 30 Mar. 2024
The nation still generates 60 percent of its electricity with fossil fuels (43 percent of it from natural gas) and until that changes, junking a gas stove is roughly a wash for the planet.
—Tik Root, Grist, Quartz, 29 Mar. 2024
Prints were often stripped of their silver content and junked.
—Dan Barry, New York Times, 15 Mar. 2024
Her characters are often antique pickers, interior designers, real estate agents, location scouts, house flippers and those who go on junking trips.
—Marni Jameson, The Mercury News, 18 Jan. 2024
Computer manufacturers also installed all kinds of additional support software, registration screens, and other things that generally extended the setup process and junked up your Start menu and desktop.
—Andrew Cunningham, Ars Technica, 21 Aug. 2023
And then the Republicans junked that plan and passed a map that was tilted wildly in their favor.
—Kyle Whitmire | Kwhitmire@al.com, al, 23 Aug. 2023
The cost to repair it was onerous, and Hilton had no option but to junk it.
—Susan Orlean, The New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2022
Noun
For example, if the government requires the disclosure of a junk fee like baggage charges, airlines will come up with a new charge not covered by the regulation to make up for it.
—Christopher Elliott, USA TODAY, 17 May 2024
As the United States government cracks down on junk fees and predatory practices in the airline industry, Frontier Airlines has introduced a series of changes geared towards pricing transparency.
—Rocio Fabbro, Quartz, 17 May 2024
In March, a smaller hunk of orbital junk tore through the roof of a home in Naples, FL.
—Harri Weber, Popular Science, 16 May 2024
More:Regulators want to slash credit card late fees to $8 from $32 average
More:Hidden junk fees from businesses can drive up costs.
—Susan Tompor, Detroit Free Press, 7 May 2024
With objects in Earth’s orbit moving at 17,500 miles per hour, too much junk and shards of debris could be incredibly hazardous to satellites and anything else that may need to pass through the area in the future, Space.com reported.
—Julia Daye, Miami Herald, 7 May 2024
The company places an emphasis on the customer’s experience and eco-friendly junk removal.
—Indianapolis Star, The Indianapolis Star, 6 May 2024
Several days after her father spoke out at a meeting against Al Capone’s efforts to muscle in on the junk dealers’ business, a gangster shot him three times in the groin.
—Steven Greenhouse, New York Times, 3 May 2024
As the space industry continues to grow, so does the amount of spacecraft being launched into orbit and the risk of collision with wandering pieces of space junk.
—Passant Rabie / Gizmodo, Quartz, 23 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'junk.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Video
Some Odd Words with ISMO: "Junk in the Trunk"
Comedian ISMO on what separates a boot from a trunk
Dictionary Entries Near junk
Cite this Entry
“Junk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/junk. Accessed 23 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
junk
2 of 3 verb
: to get rid of as worthless : scrap
junk
3 of 3 noun
: a ship of eastern Asia with a high stern and four-cornered sails
Etymology
Noun
Middle English jonke "piece of old or worn-out rope"
Noun
from Portuguese junco "a Chinese ship"
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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